Book Review: ‘The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up’ by Steven Masley, MD

AmazonHow healthy is your heart? Whether you’ve seen Dr. Steven Masley’s PBS TV program 30 Days to a Younger Heart or are looking for the motivation to eat better and live stronger, let this new book guide you on the path to better health.

With The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up you will learn first-hand how to assess, prevent, and even reverse heart deficits through awareness of specific changes in fitness, nutrition and vitamins that can enhance a healthy heart. In a friendly, readable format, the book thoroughly covers every element of a healthy body, from a food plan and 60 meal recipes – with realistic recommendations on everything from grocery shopping to supplements – to sex and sleep.

The heart of the book reflects Dr. Masley’s skill at working with patients who present a variety of health complaints, often pointing to arterial plaque growth. Strategic adjustments explained in the case studies point to solutions that come from heart-healthy foods and appropriate vitamins.

Dr. Masley’s healing perspective comes from his belief that cardiovascular disease, the #1 cause of death in the U.S., is largely preventable. Emphasis is on living a heart-healthy lifestyle, or using the 30-day tuneup to begin to reverse initial damage. As a family makes better choices, an additional benefit is putting children on the path to healthy heart habits as well. “They’re not old enough to buy a beer, but they may have arterial plaque of a 40-year-old.” The book cites a New England Journal of Medicine article stating that “for the first time in recorded history, our children’s generation is expected to have a shorter life span than their parents’ generation.” This is despite all the money spent on improvements in health care, medicine and genetic therapies.

Dr. Masley’s approach results in a readable book to share with family and friends, with relevant examples of what some of his patients do wrong, and how adjustments can quickly bring about positive results. While we can’t reverse heart disease in 30 days, Dr. Masley’s examples of small changes can bring great improvement in that short time. And that is the beginning of better heart health, through revitalizing food, proper nutrients, basic fitness, and working to keep stress hormones under control.

This whole-body approach to wellness includes a comprehensive exercise chapter and a strength-training workout complete with photos and specific directions for improved fitness and flexibility. There is also information on calculating your heart’s virtual age, and practical advice on vitamins and supplements, sorting out industry confusion over statins, Vitamin E, and which Omega 3 sources are most beneficial.

That’s reason enough to read Dr. Masley’s book and make a few life-saving changes today.